Yale To Host Connecticut Cup

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Connecticut's five Division I men's lacrosse
teams come together for the first time on October 18 at Yale for
the 2009 Christian Prince Memorial Tournament for the Connecticut
Cup.

Fairfield, Hartford, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart and Yale compete
in the five-team tournament with the winner receiving the first
annual Connecticut Cup.

"I think it's a great way to promote the game in our state,"
said Yale head coach Andy Shay. "Hopefully it will turn into a
bigger and bigger event every fall, and give the local community
something to look forward to."

"I think the chance to compete in an atmosphere like the
Connecticut Cup will raise the tempo a bit leading up to the
event," said Quinnipiac head coach Eric Fekete. "Our players' are
already excited about October."

The Connecticut Cup is a unique fall ball event in collegiate
men's lacrosse. The event is the only one of its kind that plays an
open bracket for an eventual champion within the event.

"Sacred Heart is excited to be part of this tremendous event,"
said Sacred Heart head coach Tom Mariano. "This is something we
have talked about for a long time and it's great to see it come
together."

The event will run all day that Sunday with the championship
played that evening. The battle for the Connecticut Cup has become
part of the Christian Prince Memorial Tournament, an annual event
at Yale named after the former standout Bulldog lacrosse player.

Prince, the namesake for Yale's defensive player of the year
award and a scholarship fund at the university, earned a varsity
letter as a Bulldog freshman in 1990 but was killed in the winter
of 1991. He had been a high school All-American at the
Lawrenceville (N.J.) School, where he also lettered in football and
hockey. Prince was very involved in community outreach programs.

"The Fairfield Lacrosse Program is excited about the opportunity
to compete for the Connecticut Cup," Fairfield head coach Andrew
Copelan said. "The event is for a great cause and should represent
all that is positive about Connecticut lacrosse. We are thrilled
about the potential for this event to emerge as a staple for the
local lacrosse landscape."